Gratitude: Nov 24

On Wednesday I was grateful for a fun shopping outing with my family. I got some new jeans because my old favorites were pretty beat up and a bit too big. Who doesn't like getting new jeans for that reason??

trying on hats :)

Gratitude: Nov 23

On Tuesday, I was grateful for pie-making with my mom. The house was smelling so delicious and it was so nice just spending time with my mom.

Gratitude: Nov 22

On Monday I was grateful because I got to spend the day with my brother and sister. My sister was working on a project for class making a stop motion video and she chose me to be the star! It's so not my thing normally, but I had so much fun posing and making very slow movements. The best part was hanging out with Joe, Lydia and Meredith all afternoon. Being with them makes me happy.

This is (obviously) not me or my sister's video, but a cool one. Ours will be posted once she's all finished editing it.

Gratitude: Nov 20 & 21

meredith and i enjoyed a sunday morning sunrise in abilene

I think it's obvious what I was grateful for this weekend: being in Abilene with my family! It has been a great trip already. Meredith traveled very well and is sleeping like a champ here. I am enjoying lots of laughs with my siblings, walks with my dad and outings and conversations with my mom. I'm so glad I still have 8 more days to go!

meredith and momma dee at church

evening stroll with pepe and daddy

Gratitude: Nov 19

today i am grateful that i got to see old friends. some of our dearest friends moved to chicago last summer and we haven't seen them since. they left with their 4 month old baby and today we re-met him as a walking, talking 19 month old! it was so nice to catch up, introduce them to meredith and just enjoy the company of good friends.

Nothing But Love... (III)

In honor of today's release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, my next celebrity crush is Emma Watson. She is a incredible beauty. I love her new pixie cut. It is so grown up and so not Hermione Granger. I think her appeal to me is the amazing transformation she's gone through since her first Harry Potter movie. She has gone from a cute little girl to a gorgeous young woman.

it's so hard to believe this little girl grew up to be the stunning beauty above!

so, how about you- would you cut your hair into a pixie cut? i did when i was about 14. i liked it then, but not sure i'd be willing to take the plunge again.

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Gratitude: Nov 18

Today I am grateful for getting to play with Meredith. She's becoming very interactive and today we had a raspberry-off. It was the cutest thing to see her respond to my actions.

Smiles

It's Writer's Workshop time again! I chose to write about a time someone made me smile. Pardon my poetry skills, please :)

an early spring night,
grilling seemed right.

as i headed out to make more than a snack
my husband, from work, just got back.

not finding me home,
he went back out to roam.

me done cooking our dinner
as he returned a winner.

in his hands were two flowers
one for me and one for the daughter, unborn, that was ours.

Gratitude: Nov 17

Today I am grateful for the companionship of my little girl. She still a baby and not much in the way of conversation, but geesh, I love her company. I love that we spend our days together. That when I am feeling lonely, she's with me. That when I am feeling sad, she's a guaranteed smile. That when I need a hug, she's eager to cuddle.

Inventions

Maybe its the overcast weather we're having here this week, but I've been feeling lazy and I want to get the house cleaned before our trip. So, I've been thinking up inventions that would help allow me to be lazy and productive all at the same time.

a bathroom that cleans itself.
hmm. and while we're at it, i'll take this bathroom.

a kitchen that has floors that never get dirty.
i'll take this kitchen, too. it's like a library kitchen!

a robot that delivers me coffee to my bed. because let's be honest: even if the above were to exist, i have a a cutie baby that get's up early. i can't stay in bed all day!

What would you invent to help you be lazy? What chore or activity to you hate?

images: 1 2 3: google search, then instagr.am'd

Happy Birthday!

to a dear friend, who is also like a mom, happy 50th! you deserve the best day. to someone who makes me feel special at every chance she gets, i hope you feel special at every turn today. xo



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Gratitude: Nov 16

Today I am grateful for our new Christmas stockings that arrived. I am even more grateful that this Christmas, instead of a just couple, we are a family of three.

Feels like Home.

Like I told you this weekend, I am going home soon. 4 days to be exact. I cannot wait. I found this quote last week and it perfectly sums up my feelings about home.

"Where we love is home, home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts."
(Oliver Wendell Holmes)

I love this. My heart is with my parents and my siblings. It is also with my husband and daughter (of course!) but I feel most complete when we are all together. These are some things that make me feel at home:
being lazy on the couch. preferrably cuddling with the laziest dogs on the planet.

feeling free to be silly and myself

food, prepared by my parents, that is familiar and delicious

How about you? What things make you feel at home?

Gratitude: Nov 15

Today I am grateful for morning snuggles with my baby girl. We had a very slow morning, staying in our PJs and playing with pillows and toys in bed.

Dreary

Not feeling very inspired today. Come back tomorrow?

Gratitude: Nov 14

Today I am grateful for bedtime stories with daddy and Meredith. I am usually on my own for the bedtime routine, but Chris has joined us this weekend. He read Meredith Goodnight Moon and The Going to Bed Book while we all cuddled on the couch. Life is sweet.

Gratitude: Nov 13

Today I am grateful for the amazing nap I got to take. Naps are hard to come by these days. Between Meredith's own short naps and my inability to calm my busy mind, I struggle to fall asleep before she wakes up. So today Chris was on duty when Meredith woke up and I got to sleep as long as I wanted. I really needed it after a week of late going-to-beds and new earlier wake ups.



image ...i don't even like cats but this is cute.

One week

In one week the heart shaped hole deep in my gut will be filled. I will be home with the people that matter the absolute most to me. Excitement doesn't even come close to describing how I feel about it.

Gratitude: Nov 12

Today I am grateful I get to have dinner with my friend Alanna. We worked together for the past 3 years. It is no exaggeration when I say I couldn't have done it without her just down the hall from me. We both have new jobs now- her at a new school, me as a mom. I miss our daily car rides and conversations. I am grateful we get to catch up tonight!

Hair!

I've written before about my love of loose, curly updos. It's been a while since that post and I still love them just as much. I would also say I've gotten a bit better at doing them. Most likely it's because I am becoming more ok with a less than perfect updo. Also because of tutorials like this. I've done her "Chic and Easy Bun" lots of times. It's super quick and easy with wet hair. And I've told you I have wet hair quite a lot lately.

When I saw Life As We Know It this week, I was very impressed with Katherine Heigl's cute hairdos. I would love to try some of them after having dried my hair with a bit of waviness.

Gratitude: Nov 11

Today I am grateful because I get to go to a concert with my hubby tonight. We are seeing Sufjan Stevens. I love his music and think he will be quite an interesting live show. He has a new album out that is very different from his old stuff, so I'm curious to see how it all comes together.



Are you a Sufjan fan? What do you think of his new album?

My Brother, the artiste

My brother is awesome. He's super talented and very humble about it. So, I have decided to make sure you all know about his new blog: a diary of doodles. I love it and look forward to it every day. I think he should open an etsy shop and sell prints. What do you think?

Big Bad Big Sister

It's Writer's Workshop at Mama Kat's. Today I'll be writing about a time I stood up for a friend. In my case, a sister.

my little sister

Once upon a time I stood up for my little sister. It was the summer before 7th grade. My sister would be in 5th grade. My best friend (the same one who so graciously played house with me) was hosting a kickball game up the street. There was a new girl in the neighborhood, so we headed to the game to meet her and have so fun. As we arrived, teams were being picked. The new girl was sizing up her potential team and potential opponents.

Almost the second she spotted my sister, I heard the new girl mumble, "I don't want to be on that girl's team." I was pissed. First of all, how dare she say something mean about this little girl she just met. Second of all, and more importantly, this new girl had no idea that my sister would have been the exact person you'd want on your team. She's a natural athletic talent.

I remember walking right up to the new girl saying, "You have no idea what you are talking about." I told Lydia were going and away we stormed down the street back home. I felt so validated walking away from that kickball game, I felt tough, like I had really kicked the new girl's butt. She would regret messing with me, alright. Looking back, I seriously doubt she did.

This introduction was the beginning of a very tumultuous friendship. We would be enemies one day. Friends the next. We wouldn't talk for days. Then we would be inseparable. I would say I hated her not knowing she would one day grow up to in my wedding and be one of the most loyal friends of my life. In middle school I had to defend my sister from her. Now? She is so much a part of my life she is like my sister.

enemy turned friend :)

Gratitude: Nov 10

Today I am grateful for my baby's first laugh. It was like music to my ears and brought tears to me eyes.

The Little Things

Since Meredith was first born, I've been meaning to write a blog post about the little things. My plan was to take pictures of her pacifier tucked a drawer. Our kitchen cabinets now with two tiny bottles on the shelves. Our blanket basket with a burp cloth on top. Our coffee table now with baby books stacked, instead of novels. You know, the little ways my life has changed.



But then it dawned on my this week. It is no longer the little things. It's the big things now. The two swings. The two activity mats. The jumperoo. The two strollers. Baby stuff is filling my home making it abundantly clear that I am now a mom.


But then, as I sit here and write, I come full circle. It is the little things. The way, when I reenter her line of sight, Meredith breaks into a whole face smile. The way, after a nap, I hear her cooing in her crib. The way she excitedly kicks her little legs in her stroller as we walk. The way she furrows her brow in confusion every time I put her in the warm bath water. The way she stretches and curls her toes like her daddy. The way she now is able to bring toys to her mouth which causes me to swell with pride. The way she sits contentedly with her daddy at the end of the day. Those things are what make my life so full.